howard



Dec. 26, 1922. 1,439,894. H. .I. HOWARD.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

FILED DEC-26. I918.

Patented Dec. 26, 1922.

UNITED STATES HORACE JOHN HOWARD, OF BRISTOL, ENGLAND.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-CbI/IBE'STION ENGINES.

Application filed December 26, 1918. Serial No. 268,376.

light slide valve so arranged with relation to its actuating cam that the valve 15 actuated. directly without any intervening niechamsm.

Anotl'ier object is to providea construction and arrangement forming a compact coinbusliion chamber containing in combination a detachable recessed head, a slide valve and its actuating cam and a driving gear wheel. A. further object is to provide a valve member that shall be extensible radially yet non-elastic, that shall be Without pockets or projections in the combustion chainber and light enoughfor the most rapid actuation.

Referring to j the accompanying -draw-.

rotary grooved cam and packing ring in position. j

The upper portionv of the cylinder containing the valve and its actuating cam is preferably made in one piece with the working cylinder; the barrel portion-1, Fig. 1,

is inserted through two walls formed in an upwardlyextended portion of the crank case,

i not shown, the space between the two walls containing the cooling water. This construction is to obviate an explosion joint in the combustion chamber, for the cylinder being inserted up to the sl'ioulder 1; it remains permanently fixed and would only need removing in case of breakage for the insertion of a fresh unit.- The utmost accessibility is given to the combustion chamber by the employment of a deeply recessed readily detachable head, Fig. 3, this head having 'to resist the explosion pressure the holding down bolts make an effective explosion joint with the cylinder head. I i

The described construction with insertable cylinder is equally suitable for engines with cylinders inline as well as for those whose cylinders are arranged in a circle round a cam driving shaft with their axes parallel to the same. In both these formations the adjacent sides of the outer end oi the cylinders are machined to fit snugly together.

The gas ports 2 and 3 are arranged one abovetheother in two annular rows the top row being preferably used for exhaust, and the inner or lower row 3 for the inlet. 'lhese ports are covered by the inner or lower end of the tubular slide valve, shown by Fig. E3, the ring of ports l'cut through this valve is adapted to register with the cylinder ports, so that a movement oil": the valve in an upward direction uncoversthe exhaust ports 2, and in a downward direction the inlet ports 3, thus both the exhaust and inlet gases pass through the same valve ports, equalizing the temperature of the port edges. During the working and compression strokes the ports are shown in Fig.1 in the mid position be tween the inlet and exhaust ports. The tubular slide valve 6 is contained partly in t is combustion chamber over the ports and partly in an annulus stormed between the upper part oil the cylinder and a deeply recessed head 8 which closes the combustion chamber, the lower edge of the head being coincident with the exhaust ports outside the slide valve. j

YT an r 1 h I 'l iastea 01 e annu a; ports s own 10 may be necessary in some cases to term the exhaust ports on one side of the cylinder and the inlet on the other, in these cases two ports would be, cut one above the other in parallel relation in the valve to register with similar ports in the cylinder wall, the lower ec ge oi the valve may be used on one side to uncover a port the same time as the valve port above it is uncovered. This double porting is only necessary in high speed engines where large port area with a short valve travel is essential. I

The recessed head can carry one, two or exhaust and inlet in sequence.

back of the teeth a spring pressed sector piece 12 is used fitting the curvature of the ring and also the ring groove. y In a modifi cation a complete spring ring may bGUSGCl instead of the sector piece, fitting within the outer ring and also the ring groove, but with its joint Well away from the outer ring joint.

The upper part of the head carries in a suitable recess or annulus thecam 13 for op erating the valve. I This cam is formed as a.

grooved ring, the cam being rotated within thevalve. member having the cam groove on its outer surface shapedto g1ve the desired motion to the valve member which it opcrates by connecting pins 15 projecting from the valve, and running in the cam groove 14. The cam groove bemg of rel'atlvely large diameter the cam has its speed of roploy a hardened detachable pin to connect the cam to each valve member to operate the valve. v, v

To use antifriction means with advantage, the cam should take the form of a projecting rib or flange having a roller on eachsideof same.

Rotary :iotionis 'impartedto the cam ring by means of a toothed ring. 16 attached to or formed integrally with the cam ring; This 1 gear wheel is driven in any suitable manner,

as for example by a gear wheel on a vertical shaft driven by the crank shaft, not shown. skew gearing by a horizontally mounted shaft along the cylinder heads. When a plurality of cylinders provided with this sleeve valve andcam are employed the said fr gear wheels. maybe driven by the gear wheel in the adjacent cylinder.

The cam rlng is arranged in the recessed head, as shown in Fig. 3, within the valve,

but it can be arranged to revolve in an annulus formed between the outslde of the valve and an enlargement ofthe cylinderv bore. In the method shown the recessed head is formed in two parts 8 and 19, screwed together to enable the cam ring'to be asembled. i l j,

As the camels rotated round the cylinder axis, and the valve is required to move parallel to that axis, it follows that means must be provided'to prevent the valve moving any but'an axial direction, and though not limited to this particular method, it is conveniently done by forming the heads of, the projecting pins15 as keys-17 which travel invkeyways 18 out either in the cylinder walhor in the cylinder head onthe' opposite.

Or it may be driven by worm or side to the projecting actuating pin, to suit eitheran inside or an outside cam. The actuating pins 15 are formed in one piece with the key 17, and hardened, the pins are a tight lit in the valve member to which they are attached by. a rivet or screw.

For the reason previously explained, two or more 'cyclesare completed in one revolution of the cam, it follows therefore that the cam groove must be symmetrical, also theactuating pins 15 projecting from the valve surface niustengage freely in this groove, and be equally spaced and guided so that the valve pins receive their-"motion in perfect unison with eachother during the revo lution of the cam ring... a V

To operate a s'ngle split rin valve by this method with more than one operating pin, this invention proposes to and retain the equalspacing of the operating pins by keyways 18 cut in the valve housing,

and allowing all expansion and wear to adjust itself between these points. This is accomplished by making the tubular valve in two parts as shown in Fig. 2, and joining the adjacentedges as shown bysquare tongues 10 andrecesses that lock together to form a complete tube expansible yet nonelastic. In larger engines the valve may be divided longitudinally into three parts instead oftW o.v v i i A modification of" the a-Xially revolviirg camwouldb'e to use only one side of the groove cam by meansof a roller on' the valve member'kept inclosecontact therewith by spring pressure applied to the valve member from above preferably at the guidinglreyways 18", thus the valve was be operated in one direction by the cam andin the return direction by the spring. j

It is known to key the edges of "asplit ring valve to prevent axial distortion of the valve edges, but the present invention uses this method to prevent gas leakage past 'tllGJOlIltS of a valve member; that is 7 open to the atmosphereat its outer end, to

allow of its ready assembly on its cam groove, togive it expansibility without inian springing, facture.

It is important that all theworki'ng sur;

and to facilitateas mama faces of the valve and the achin rin overrun the corresponding working surfaces on the cylinder and'the valve to prevent the i edges of these parts being rounded, orivear'- ing a ridge 1n thecylmder orvalve atthe end of lllllI tIEtVGl.

recessis formed on the inside valve surface a little before 'the'end of thestroke, so that The cylinder is recessed org'rooved as'at 20, Flg. 1, asimfilar holes, to facilitate the free flow of lubricant to all Working faces. These parts not being Within the combustion chamber oil applied to the driving teeth can readily spread to the parts requiring lubrication.

In Fig. 1, the ignition plug opening is shown situate in the recessed head with gas cooling duct leading to it, and this the preferred construction, but may be situate on one side of the engine between the cylinder ports, and opening into the valve port When the latter is in its central closed position, which arrangement provides that the ignition passage is only opened during the compression and firing strokes.

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports, a sectional sleeve valve reciprocable Within the cylinder head to control the inlet and exhaust ports, each of said sections being formed along their longitudinal edges With alternating teeth and recesses the teeth on one section fitting the recesses of the other section, and means for operating the valve.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports, a

sectional expansible sleeve valve reciprocable in the cylinder for controlling the inlet and exhaust ports, a cam rotatably mounted in the cylinder and projections carried by the sleeve valve and engaging the cam.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports and vertically extending guidevvays therein, a sleeve valve reciprocable in the cylinder for controlling the inlet and exhaust ports, a cam rotatably mounted in the cylinder, keys secured to the valve and operating in the guideways, projections formed on the keys and extending through the valve and engaging the cam, and means for rotating the cam.

4:. In an internal combustion engine, a cylindrical slide valve adapted to reciprocate over ports formed in the Wall of the combustion chamber by means of an annular cam arranged and rotated in the cylinder head in such a manner that its axis is coincident With or parallel to the valve axis, said slide valve being formed of tWo semicircular portions, each being formed With alternate teeth and recesses, the teeth of the one part fitting the recesses of the other part for the purpose set forth.

HORACE JOHN HOWARD. 

